Johns Hopkins University

What surprised me most about Baltimore: One of the most remarkable things about Baltimore is that the people here have managed to retain the easygoing nature and sincerity that are among the best-loved qualities of-small town America without sacrificing the vibrancy and cultural gravitas characteristic of one of the greatest cities in the world. Best school events: The three days of Spring Fair are the best three days of my year, but the homecoming lacrosse game and all the fanfare that goes with it makes for a pretty great time as well. Best non-school event: I genuinely cannot narrow it down to one. My favorite experiences would be a four-way tie between Preakness, Artscape, FreeFest, and that impromptu, city-wide party that ignited when the Ravens won the Super Bowl. That was awesome. Best public transportation: The best Hopkins transportation is definitely the Homewood-JHMI shuttle. The best city transportation is the Charm City Circulator. And the best transportation to just about everywhere else you can get on public transportation is the MARC train. Best free wi-fi on campus: There's nothing quite like watching Netflix on the Beach (above). Best hidden gem near school: There is a beautiful trail along Stony Run Creek that is right behind the Homewood Campus. It's like being transported into a completely different world, and I feel as though not that many Hopkins students are familiar with it. Best way to meet people: A friend of mine just got a little beagle puppy and has seemingly met and befriended more people while walking him in Mount Vernon than I have in three years here. If you're not ready for that kind of commitment, Tuesday night trivia at PJ's Pub in Charles Village is a great alternative. Favorite on-campus place to study: I'm partial to the Brody Learning Commons. Favorite off-campus place to study: My porch. I live in a house with four friends, and when the weather's nice there's nothing better than the five of us sitting outside all day. Favorite things to do on the weekend: There are always great parties around campus, but since I turned 21 my friends and I have begun to branch out to other parts of the city. Must-take classes: If you come to Hopkins and you choose to major in neuroscience, you're going to have to take both semesters of The Nervous System. If you come to Hopkins and major in anything else, you should make the time to take both semesters of The Nervous System. These are incredible classes taught by an outstanding professor. What I wish someone had told me when I was a freshman: Ambition is like Google Maps. You can type in anything you want, and it will show you where to go. But unless you're willing to put in the work to get there, you're just staring a screen. Best hangout spot on campus: The Beach is the ideal on-campus hangout spot. Best hangout spot off campus: I have friends who live in Mount Vernon and Federal Hill, and I really like hanging out in those neighborhoods. By Noah Guiberson, senior, neuroscience/molecular and cellular biology double major

What surprised me most about Baltimore: One of the most remarkable things about Baltimore is that the people here have managed to retain the easygoing nature and sincerity that are among the best-loved qualities of-small town America without sacrificing the vibrancy and cultural gravitas characteristic of one of the greatest cities in the world. Best school events: The three days of Spring Fair are the best three days of my year, but the homecoming lacrosse game and all the fanfare that goes with it makes for a pretty great time as well. Best non-school event: I genuinely cannot narrow it down to one. My favorite experiences would be a four-way tie between Preakness, Artscape, FreeFest, and that impromptu, city-wide party that ignited when the Ravens won the Super Bowl. That was awesome. Best public transportation: The best Hopkins transportation is definitely the Homewood-JHMI shuttle. The best city transportation is the Charm City Circulator. And the best transportation to just about everywhere else you can get on public transportation is the MARC train. Best free wi-fi on campus: There's nothing quite like watching Netflix on the Beach (above). Best hidden gem near school: There is a beautiful trail along Stony Run Creek that is right behind the Homewood Campus. It's like being transported into a completely different world, and I feel as though not that many Hopkins students are familiar with it. Best way to meet people: A friend of mine just got a little beagle puppy and has seemingly met and befriended more people while walking him in Mount Vernon than I have in three years here. If you're not ready for that kind of commitment, Tuesday night trivia at PJ's Pub in Charles Village is a great alternative. Favorite on-campus place to study: I'm partial to the Brody Learning Commons. Favorite off-campus place to study: My porch. I live in a house with four friends, and when the weather's nice there's nothing better than the five of us sitting outside all day. Favorite things to do on the weekend: There are always great parties around campus, but since I turned 21 my friends and I have begun to branch out to other parts of the city. Must-take classes: If you come to Hopkins and you choose to major in neuroscience, you're going to have to take both semesters of The Nervous System. If you come to Hopkins and major in anything else, you should make the time to take both semesters of The Nervous System. These are incredible classes taught by an outstanding professor. What I wish someone had told me when I was a freshman: Ambition is like Google Maps. You can type in anything you want, and it will show you where to go. But unless you're willing to put in the work to get there, you're just staring a screen. Best hangout spot on campus: The Beach is the ideal on-campus hangout spot. Best hangout spot off campus: I have friends who live in Mount Vernon and Federal Hill, and I really like hanging out in those neighborhoods. By Noah Guiberson, senior, neuroscience/molecular and cellular biology double major (Jed Kirschbaum / Baltimore Sun)

What surprised me most about Baltimore: One of the most remarkable things about Baltimore is that the people here have managed to retain the easygoing nature and sincerity that are among the best-loved qualities of-small town America without sacrificing the vibrancy and cultural gravitas characteristic of one of the greatest cities in the world. Best school events: The three days of Spring Fair are the best three days of my year, but the homecoming lacrosse game and all the fanfare that goes with it makes for a pretty great time as well. Best non-school event: I genuinely cannot narrow it down to one. My favorite experiences would be a four-way tie between Preakness, Artscape, FreeFest, and that impromptu, city-wide party that ignited when the Ravens won the Super Bowl. That was awesome. Best public transportation: The best Hopkins transportation is definitely the Homewood-JHMI shuttle. The best city transportation is the Charm City Circulator. And the best transportation to just about everywhere else you can get on public transportation is the MARC train. Best free wi-fi on campus: There's nothing quite like watching Netflix on the Beach (above). Best hidden gem near school: There is a beautiful trail along Stony Run Creek that is right behind the Homewood Campus. It's like being transported into a completely different world, and I feel as though not that many Hopkins students are familiar with it. Best way to meet people: A friend of mine just got a little beagle puppy and has seemingly met and befriended more people while walking him in Mount Vernon than I have in three years here. If you're not ready for that kind of commitment, Tuesday night trivia at PJ's Pub in Charles Village is a great alternative. Favorite on-campus place to study: I'm partial to the Brody Learning Commons. Favorite off-campus place to study: My porch. I live in a house with four friends, and when the weather's nice there's nothing better than the five of us sitting outside all day. Favorite things to do on the weekend: There are always great parties around campus, but since I turned 21 my friends and I have begun to branch out to other parts of the city. Must-take classes: If you come to Hopkins and you choose to major in neuroscience, you're going to have to take both semesters of The Nervous System. If you come to Hopkins and major in anything else, you should make the time to take both semesters of The Nervous System. These are incredible classes taught by an outstanding professor. What I wish someone had told me when I was a freshman: Ambition is like Google Maps. You can type in anything you want, and it will show you where to go. But unless you're willing to put in the work to get there, you're just staring a screen. Best hangout spot on campus: The Beach is the ideal on-campus hangout spot. Best hangout spot off campus: I have friends who live in Mount Vernon and Federal Hill, and I really like hanging out in those neighborhoods. By Noah Guiberson, senior, neuroscience/molecular and cellular biology double majorJed Kirschbaum / Baltimore Sun